planning to go to Norther NM in Sept and wondering if the drive to Carlsbad is worthwhile
also curious about restrictions/conditions for photography
Hi! We currently live in Carlsbad (NM). Carlsbad is approx 285 miles from ABQ; this is 5 hrs for most people. To get here, head east out of ABQ on I-40 to Cline's Corners and then head south. The Caverns are about 25 miles south of the town of Carlsbad.
There are several different trips you can take with 2 being the most common: Natural Entrance, and main room. The Natural Entrance tour has you doing a long downhill walk. Or you can take the elevator down and wander around the 8+ ac main room. Other tours are given sporadically or with special arrangements, you'll have to call for details.
http://www.nps.gov/cave/index.htmIt's been a few years since I went down there, so I'll ring them up today for current rules on photography. Last time I went through w with a P&S and was allowed to do the self-guided tour - don't know what the deal is now.
If you have time, you might consider adding Guadalupe Mountains National Park, another 35 miles south. This is where the Butterfield Stage route crossed the mountains and has a lot of historical information on life on the frontier (which lasted well past 1900 around here). There is also a big population of (relatively rare) Madrone trees here. A few shots at:
http://dspeed.zenfolio.com/p356852066You could also plan a return trip from Carlsbad to Artesia (north) to Cloudcroft (west) to Alamagordo (west) to see White Sands, then up through Bosque del Apache and back to ABQ. Distances are huge here, so plan accordingly.
Feel free to contact me for questions.
Dave
